Momentum & collisions worksheet with answers

Free printable Momentum & collisions worksheet: 6 problems from easy to exam level, with an answer key. Print it or save it as a PDF.

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1.Easy
6 kg900 m/sV = ?

A 6 kg rifle, free to move, fires a 10 g bullet at 900 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.

M = 6 kgm = 10 gv = 900 m/s
V = m/s
2.Easy
1000 kg18 m/s1600 kg9 m/s

A 1000 kg car moving at 18 m/s collides head-on with a 1600 kg car moving at 9 m/s in the opposite direction. The cars lock together. Find their common velocity v′ just after the collision (positive in the first car’s direction).

m1 = 1000 kgv1 = 18 m/sm2 = 1600 kgv2 = −9 m/s
v′ = m/s
3.Medium
1 kg8 m/s3 kg

A 1 kg glider moving at 8 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 3 kg glider at rest on a frictionless track. Find the velocity v′2 of the second glider after the collision.

m1 = 1 kgm2 = 3 kgv1 = 8 m/sv2 = 0
v′2 = m/s
4.Medium
1 kg5 m/s5 kg

A 1 kg glider moving at 5 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 5 kg glider at rest on a frictionless track. Find the velocity v′2 of the second glider after the collision.

m1 = 1 kgm2 = 5 kgv1 = 5 m/sv2 = 0
v′2 = m/s
5.Hard
3 kgv = ?10 g10°L = 0.6 m

A 10 g bullet is fired horizontally into a 3 kg block hanging from light strings 0.6 m long, and stays in it. The strings swing out to a largest angle of 10° from the vertical. Use g = 9.81 m/s². Find the speed v of the bullet before impact.

m = 10 gM = 3 kgL = 0.6 mθ = 10°g = 9.81 m/s²
v = m/s
6.Hard
28 m/s15 m/s

A 0.55 kg ball hits a wall at 28 m/s and bounces straight back at 15 m/s. The contact lasts 40 ms. Find the average force Favg of the wall on the ball.

m = 0.55 kgvin = 28 m/svout = 15 m/sΔt = 40 ms
Favg = N

Answer key

  1. 1. V = 1.5 m/s
  2. 2. v′ = 1.385 m/s
  3. 3. v′2 = 4 m/s
  4. 4. v′2 = 1.667 m/s
  5. 5. v = 127.3 m/s
  6. 6. Favg = 591.3 N

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